Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Rise of Tart Cherry As A Medicinal Food

Tart Cherries are one of nature's unsung healing agents, able to help the body recover naturally from a myriad of different ailments.

A Cherry on Top? The Rise of Tart Cherry

Though proverbially, the cherry has always been on top, medicinally, it has always laboured near the bottom. While bilberry was accumulating studies on eye health, hawthorn berries were accumulating studies on heart health, cranberries were achieving fame for urinary tract health and blueberries were resolving high blood pressure and staking a claim to the antioxidant crown, cherries were seen as simply pleasurable, placing the entire weight of their health claim on a single half century old study showing that they could prevent attacks of gout [1].

In the past half dozen years, though, all that has changed, and the humble cherry is moving up the herbal hit list. Maybe there really is a cherry on top.

Gout

The first early gout study took sixty-two years to be replicated. A modern study of 633 gout sufferers found that eating cherries reduced the risk of having a gout attack by 35% and that supplementing a cherry extract reduced the risk by an even more impressive 45% [2]. After waiting over half a century, the next study took only one year to follow. This study gave gout sufferers a cherry juice concentrate (1tbsp=45-60 cherries) while they continued to take their medication. In the first part of the study, more than 50% of the cherry group were attack free at 60 days and could cut back on their meds. In the second, attacks were reduced by 50% in half the people taking cherry juice for four months or longer [3].

Insomnia

Soon it would be discovered that cherries could do more than prevent attacks of gout. In truly surprising research, cherries, it turned out, treated insomnia. The first evidence came from a double-blind study of fifteen healthy, elderly people with insomnia. Their average age was 71.6 years. For two weeks, they drank either two 8 ounce servings of Montmorency tart cherry juice and apple juice or a similar looking placebo drink. Though at the end of the study, the people still had insomnia, those who drank the cherry juice had moderately improved sleep.

They experienced significant improvement on the Insomnia Severity Index, on how long it took them to fall asleep, on how often they woke up and on total sleeping time [4].

A second study found out how tart cherries treated insomnia. This double-blind study gave twenty healthy men and women 30mL of tart Montmorency cherry juice concentrate in 200mL of water twice a day for seven days. The dose was equivalent to approximately 90-100 tart cherries. Compared to a placebo fruit drink, the tart cherry juice significantly increased melatonin by about 16%. Cherries, it turned out, were improving sleep because they were a natural source of the sleep hormone melatonin. Compared to a placebo, the cherry group significantly increased the time spent in bed, had a significant 34 minutes more sleep per night and a significant 5-6% increase in the time in bed spent sleeping. The people on the cherry juice also spent significantly less time napping [5]. An earlier study had also found that Jerte Valley cherries increased melatonin and improved sleep [6].

Later, a fourth study would also find that, compared to placebo, a cherry product improved sleep efficiency, time taken to fall asleep, number of awakenings and total sleep time and that it increased melatonin [7].

Surprisingly, then, in a novel use of cherries, there is evidence that they improve sleep because they are a natural source of melatonin.

Exercise

In the same year the studies began to appear on insomnia, studies began to appear that demonstrated benefits for cherries for exercise. According to double-blind research on 54 healthy runners, when 355 mL of tart cherry juice was taken twice a day for seven days prior to a long distance run and again on the day of the race, the runners had significantly smaller increases in muscle pain than runners given a placebo cherry drink [8].

Subsequent studies would show that cherries improved the free radical damage and inflammation that resulted from exercise. In the first, twenty recreational marathon runners drank either cherry juice or a placebo for five days prior to a race and continued drinking it until two days after the race. Strength recovery was significantly faster in the cherry group. Furthermore, inflammation was significantly reduced and total antioxidant status was significantly greater in the cherry group [9]. A subsequent double-blind study would give either 30 mL Montmorency cherry concentrate (equivalent to about 90- 110 whole cherries) or a placebo in 100mL water twice a day for a week to sixteen healthy male cyclists. Blood samples were taken after the cyclists completed high intensity exercise. Markers of free radical damage and inflammation were again significantly better in the cherry group [10].

Although exercise is good for every aspect of health, prolonged exercise can suppress immunity. Because of this immune suppression, prolonged exercise is associated with increased respiratory infections. So, researchers tried giving twenty recreational marathon runners either tart Montmorency cherry juice or a placebo, starting five days before they ran their marathon and continuing until two days after they were finished. The dose of cherry juice was 236mL of fresh-pressed Montmorency tart cherry combined with apple (equal to 50-60 cherries) twice a day; the placebo was the same amount of a sugar-free fruit flavoured drink that looked like cherry juice. As in the earlier studies, the cherry juice significantly reduced inflammation after the race. C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, increased significantly less in the cherry juice group.

Importantly in this study, both the number and the severity of upper respiratory tract symptoms (URTS) were significantly worse in the placebo group. Only the placebo group suffered more URTS after the race: while 50% of the runners who took the placebo had URTS at 24 and 48 hours after the race, not one of the runners who drank the cherry juice did [11].

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Nahko & Medicine For The People "Wash It Away" with Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle.
Live at Higher Ground
Burlington, VT
5.12.16

Additional footage by Bob Wagner

www.goodwolfproductions.com

Follow us on Facebook + Instagram: @goodwolfsessions

Lyrics:

We are part of something specialwe are part of something special
we're a part of something special
It's a crack in time
a wrinkle
Fallen from the nest, young eagle
I will pull my feathers out
stay humble
stay humble
stay humble
stay humble
stay humble
Uncle Mana taught us like an elder
took asunder older brother
he said
this is powerful country
this is powerful country
we felt like we were returning
to our land rebels
and the shepherds in the sea
takers are taking what the leavers will leave
so grieve me the black prince cicada
such a loud voice for a tiny creature
teach me to let go of all of my pain
I do forgive, I don't forget these things
I do forgive, I don't forget these things
We burn the bluegum for a safe passageway
drink of the earth
smoke of the dirt
and my warpaint was red ochre clay
Hoka hey
Red ochre clay
Hoka hey
Red ochre clay
Our prayers igniting, cast out into the shire
and the song of our struggle
came straight from the fire,
it goes:
holy holy grandmother, we sing
wash us clean of our pain and suffering
give us strength for our new beginnings
From my deepest grace I sing
wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
in my dreams a whirling aboriginal man
gave me your hat
and your past in one hand
he said,
you've come to be with rainbow serpent
red hands red land red worship
red hands red land red worship
just then I heard bush mama crying in the chasms
for the stolen generation
and the children who haven't
come home
come home stay home
come home
come home stay home
my bullets are my words
and my words are my weapons
so chain me to the pipeline
for our rivers and mountains we sing
today's a good day for my ego to die
today's a good day for my ego to die
spirit live on in my heart, in my body, my mind
then sister crow came with the murder that day
so he tattoed the bird nation onto our faces
she said we sing to let go of all of our pain
we dance the story
to
remember when things
changed
remember when things
changed
remember when things
changed
holy holy grandmother, we sing
wash us clean of our pain and suffering
give us strength for our new beginnings
From my deepest grace I sing
wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
ooh lift ‘em up
We danced the ghost dance in two separate countries
To this old song
so familiar to memory
the road will teach you how to love and let go
it can be lonely but it's the only thing
that we've ever known
it can be lonely but it's the only thing
that we've ever known
Our mommas told us
let go of jealousy
and for vagabonds and vagrants, that won't come so easy
we've come from nothing
nothing
we have come from nothing
nothing
I traveled halfway across the country and back
only to find love undefined
and I'm OK with that
cause I'm gonna be a guardian
be a man among men
be a guardian
be a man among men
or be a woman
among women
be a guardian
be my friend
ooh
be my friend
teach me to love you
in a different way
same cuts
same guts
same crazy
same cuts
same guts
same crazy
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up
it'll wash away, it will wash away
lift ‘em up

Most thanks to Indigenous Environmental Network for clips from Paris during the direct actions around COP21, Dec 2015. Stay posted at www.ienearth.org
www.sofiajannok.comLYRICS

Introduction:

“The State is of the opinion that the claim put forward by the Sámi reindeer herding community with regards to their long tradition of being engaged in reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing in the area is of irrelevance to the case. In order to be eligible to claim immemorial prescription, said claim has to be based on a 90 years long use of an area. Any additional use for a longer period of time is of irrelevance to the legality of the claim.”“Because of the claim that it is of importance that the Sámi have been using this area, the State is of the opinion that it is of utmost importance to define what is meant by the term Sámi, and how specific such a definition really is.This is what the following material is meant to do.”(Excerpts from the State Attorney’s intervention during the hearing in the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas - from whence Sofia Jannok’s grandmother came - and the Swedish State. Gällivare Lapland District Court, June, 2015.)

Song lyrics:

This is my land, this is my country and if I’d be the queen you’d see that I’d take everyone by hand and sing it so it’s out there
that we’ll paint this land blue, yellow, red and green

If you say that this girl’s not welcome in this country, if she must leave because her face is brown

Well, then I’d say you go first ’cause frankly this is my land and here we live in peace, I’ll teach you how

This is my pride, this is my freedom, this is the air that I breathe and you’ll find no kings, no queens, here everybody’s equal - men, women and all who are in between

This is my home, this is my heaven, this is the earth where I belong and if you want to ruin it all with big wounds in the mountains then you’re not worthy of listening to this song

This is my land, this is my country, these lakes, rivers, hills and woods If you open up your eyes you’ll find someone is lying

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The Incredible Healing Effect of Mother's Touch

by Eleni Roumeliotou

Green Med Info. 8 May 2015

Skin to skin contact between the mother and her new-born baby can have impressive healing and even life-saving effects for the infant.

The human body is not just a dynamic sophisticated biochemical and genetic system; there are strong energetic, emotional and psychological aspects that interact decisively with the physical counterparts of the body and can make a very measurable difference in our physiological functions.

A valid proof of this comes from the neonatal Kangaroo care method (K method), which requires skin to skin contact between the mother and the newborn baby. While this simple intervention provides superior support for preterm, low-weight babies, in comparison to conventional practices, such as the use of incubator, it is rarely included in official hospital policies or recommended to mothers by mainstream experts.

Pediatricians have expressed fears that keeping a preterm baby outside of an incubator during the Kangaroo interaction, may expose the infant to cold with subsequent loss of body heat and lower body temperatures, which can be critical to the survival and wellbeing of weak babies. Research however shows that the exact opposite is happening during the K care method. A study involving low-weight preterm babies (less than 1.5 Kg) and their mothers, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that the body temperature of the newborn actually rises when the infant is skin to skin in touch with the mother's chest.

Perhaps the most remarkable story that was brought to the public's attention is the miraculous revival of premature baby boy Jamie Ogg, who, following his birth was pronounced dead by doctors after 20 minutes of resuscitation efforts. His mother put him on her chest and held him for 2 hours, when he suddenly started to gasp for air and was soon breathing normally.

Apart from such dramatic recoveries, clinicians have recorded impressive positive impact of the K method on a variety of physiological and behavioral parameters on newborns. For example, doctors from the Pediatric Department in New Delhi hospital in India conducted a randomized control trial of the effects of the Kangaroo mother care method. 28 mother and low birth-weight baby dyads (baby weight less than 1.5 Kg at the time of birth) were assigned either to the control group (incubator or standard open care) or the K group, where the mother kept the baby in touch with her skin for at least 4 hours per day in no more than 3 sittings.

About Me

An American living in Sweden.
**PRIVACY NOTICE:
Warning--any person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental structure including but not limited to ALL Governments or private mediums or corporations or individuals also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites, you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/ or the comments made about my photo's or any other "picture" art posted on my profile. You are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing, disseminating, or taking any other action against me with regard to this profile and the contents herein. The foregoing prohibitions also apply to your employee(s), agent(s), student(s) or any personnel under your direction or control. The contents of this profile are private and legally privileged and confidential information, and the violation of my personal privacy is punishable by law and will be strictly enforced.